Overview
- North Rhine–Westphalia premier Hendrik Wüst called for disciplined cooperation in Berlin, urging the coalition to resolve disputes internally and focus on clear priorities in the election year.
- Five state elections are scheduled in 2026, starting with Baden‑Württemberg on March 8 and Rheinland‑Pfalz on March 22, followed by Sachsen‑Anhalt on September 6 and Berlin and Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern on September 20.
- A 13‑member pension commission begins work in January alongside a Bund–Länder panel on social‑state modernization, with government plans to present heating‑law reform principles and a Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz timetable by late February.
- Polling reports show AfD gains, with analysts expecting particularly strong results in some eastern states and complex coalition arithmetic across several parliaments.
- New rules took effect on January 1, including a minimum wage of €13.90, a €603 mini‑job threshold and a Deutschlandticket price set at €63, as civil‑society groups like the Ahmadiyya youth staged nationwide New Year cleanups.